The Mary T. and Frank L. Hoffman
Family Foundation
andAll-Creatures.Org

Letters and Responses

Letter From Kristin about Going Vegan for the Animals - September 18, 2008

Dear Frank and Mary,

I have frequently visited your site for nearly a year. Mostly all I saw in the
beginning were photos in your " Animal Exploitation" section. I thought the
photos about cattle, pigs and were extremely harsh. Yet, after that I still
continued to eat meat.

After I was able to get to view some of the actual video clips of "Meet You
Meat" and " Help End the Slaughter of America's Horses" I was greatly shocked
and disgusted at the way slaughtering is actually done. Especially since most of
these animals seem to still be alive and fully aware and scared, when they are
hung upside down and being moved down the line to be chopped up. Around where I
live, I know cows get a chance to roam and graze freely, and a chance to live
for more then two years. When traveling I always see fields of cattle, and ever
since finding your website, I can't stop but wonder how many of them are going
to suffer the way others in your clips did.

My grandmother told me that when her and my grandfather had their farm and
slaughtered there own pigs, one shot and it was over, no wiggling, no having to
slit their throats, no nothing. Which, if people have must eat meat, it should
be done that way, that way they are NOT suffering and struggling for life.

I can't believe that the governments allow these animals to be treated this
way. If cattle, pigs, sheep or any other animal is sick, lame, injured in anyway
they should be immediately looked at by a vet. These slaughterhouses should have
a vet on hand to check every animal and make sure it is healthy. Beef cattle
should be checked for lameness, cancers, mad caw disease, and anything else.
Dairy cows should not be used for milk if they have had any shots of any kind.
Instead of having their young ripped away from them at birth, they should be
milked once a day and the rest of the time with their calf or calves. And so-on
with all other animals.

As for veal and lamb meat, I don't care if its "tender" and tastes good.
You're killing a baby! They haven't even had a chance to play with others ...
not like in the meat industry, the would get a chance to do so, but I believe
that they deserve at least that much. If they are going to be "meat" give them
the respect and full life they deserve before hand. Let them roam and graze
freely outside where they belong. Not cooped up in a cramped stall, forced to
watch others around them being repeatedly abused and/or killed by man. I admit I
used to think that slaughtering was done a lot more humane then I had recently
found out. But I guess that's why it's called slaughtering.

As for the "Taste of China" and horse slaughtering tapes; I'm greatly greatly
disgusted that people find "companion" animals as a source food. People in China
and anywhere else who kill cats and dogs for food, should be personally beat or
hung. These animals are PETS not food. They should be treated as a family
member. After I had seen these pictures in your gallery and then seeing the
video clip, I grabbed both my cats, went to bed and cried for hours holding
them. I'm an animal lover. I could never imagine doing this to animals. Horses
by far are my favorite animal. I always pictured them as beautiful, graceful and
running threw huge fields in herds as I had seen my aunts horses do when I was
little. Now all I think of when I see a horse is " Is it going to end up in a
Mexican slaughterhouse".

The whole world should be aware of what's going on in the meat industry. I do
believe the quote " If slaughter houses had glass walls everyone would be
vegetarian" is true. I have shown my grandmother some of the clips on your
website, and she and I both refuse to touch meat again. I haven't eaten beef in
months, the smell of it cooking, or any meat cooking turns my stomach.

If slitting the throat of a human and watching them bleed is murder, why is
it OK to do that to an animal?

I VOW TO NEVER TOUCH MEAT EVER AGAIN!!!!!!!!

Reply from Frank and Mary Hoffman

Dear Kristin:

Thank you very much for writing. You and your grandmother's decisions have made
our day (:-))

Any form of animal agriculture can never be "humane", because it is driven by
money and not compassion. The only way to stop the suffering and exploitation is
to make the decision that you did, and to go vegan.